Tesla Model S Crashes, Splits In Half

Updated on

Tesla got in trouble last year for a series of battery fires in the Model S. The automaker’s stock went crashing down after those fires but has since recovered. It’s anyone’s guess whether Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) stock will be affected by this weekend’s explosive crash in Hollywood. It was so violent and dramatic that it looks like something out of a Hollywood film.

Let’s just start by saying that this accident was so violent that it’s incredible anyone even survived. Of course that could still change, judging by the seriousness of the injuries in this horrible wreck.

Tesla hits 100 miles per hour

According to Hollywood news station KTLA, police were called to an auto dealership where someone reported a suspect tampering with one of the cars. After they responded to the scene, the suspect reportedly took off in a Tesla Model S, and a chase ensued. Police say the Model S reached up to 100 miles per hour before crashing into a lamp post and two other vehicles.

A witness told local media that the Tesla slammed into a pole and was split in half. Part of the car reportedly landed on top of another car, and then the fires started. Video of the crash showed that the other half of the of the car crashed into the side of a synagogue, ejecting the driver, who ended up wedged between the wall of the synagogue and the piece of the Model S.

Witnesses also heard explosions.

At least six injured in Tesla wreck

The Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) driver reportedly crashed into a Honda that was carrying five people, two of whom were in serious condition and one of whom was in critical condition as of the time of the local media’s report. There was no information about the fifth passenger in the car. The driver of the Tesla had reportedly died on the scene but then was revived by paramedics and taken to the hospital in critical condition. Police are investigating the crash and did not release the names of any of the victims or the suspect.

Tesla backlash all over again?

One of the things Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk touted about the Model S after last year’s three fires was the fact that no one had died in the car. The drivers walked away without injury, even the driver in the crash in Mexico that was especially violent. In that wreck, the car was traveling so fast that it crashed through a concrete wall and a large tree, but the driver walked away without a permanent injury. In this new crash, the driver of the Tesla Model S could die, but will investors look at the whole story when judging it? Two of the three crashes last year involved thermal runaway after a piece of metal punctured the battery compartment. Tesla made some software adjustments and hasn’t had any problems with it since. In this crash though, there are a lot more factors involved, none of which could be called Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) fault. Because the driver was ejected, there’s a very good possibility that he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. And because the car was traveling at such a high speed, anything could happen. It is pretty remarkable that the car split in half though. The Model S is so solid that it broke the roof crush test machine. Needless to say, if this wreck managed to split the car in half, it’s some kind of freak accident.

Tesla Crash Video: [via RMG News]

Leave a Comment